The use of excimer lasers and the development of deep UV lenses for the semiconductor industry has produced a technology capable of sub-micron feature generation. The high irradiance levels available at a working surface can give rise to various laser-induced processes that enable material to be removed or deposited precisely. One of the laser-induced processes that has received much attention over the last few years is ablation. The paper will concentrate on the relevant properties of excimer lasers, the development of deep UV lens technology and the phenomenon of ablation used for material removal. A number of examples will be given to illustrate the capability of excimer laser systems to ablate sub-micron features in polymers and other materials.

Date Published: 1 April 1992
PDF: 10 pages
Proc. SPIE 1573, Commercial Applications of Precision Manufacturing at the Sub-Micron Level, (1 April 1992); doi: 10.1117/12.57747

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 1573:
Commercial Applications of Precision Manufacturing at the Sub-Micron Level
Lionel R. Baker, Editor(s)